Seven Women Named to Dean Positions at Major Universities

Bridgette Young Ross will be the dean of the chapel and spiritual life at Emory University in Atlanta. For the past five years, Rev. Ross has been the assistant general secretary of the United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville, Tennessee. From 2000 to 2009, she was associate dean of the chapel at Emory. She will begin her new duties at Emory on July 1.

A native of Chicago, Rev. Ross is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she majored in management and marketing. She holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina and a master of divinity degree from the Gammon Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

Sheryl Fontaine was appointed dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at California State University, Fullerton. She has served in the post on an interim basis since August 2013. Dr. Fontaine joined the faculty at the university in 1990 and currently serves as a professor of English, comparative literature, and linguistics.

Professor Fontaine holds a Ph.D. in English and American literature from the University of California, San Diego.

Beverly Wendland was named interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Dr. Wendland is a professor and chair of the department of biology at the university.

Professor Wendland joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1998. She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego and holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford University.

Vikki L. Vandiver was appointed dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Alabama. Dr. Vandiver has been on the faculty at Portland State University in Oregon since 1992. In 2012, she was named associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Social Work at Portland State. She is co-editor of the journal Best Practices in Mental Health and is the author of Integrating Health Promotion and Mental Health: An Introduction to Policies, Principles, and Practices (Oxford University Press, 2009).

Dr. Vandiver holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master of social work degree from the University of Houston. She earned a doctor of public health degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Ann B. Bain was named the founding dean of College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is currently serving as the interim dean of the College of Science and chair of the department of nursing at the university. She will begin her duties as dean on July 1.

Dr. Bain joined the faculty at the university n 1987. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the University of Central Arkansas and an educational doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Sharon Lovell is the new dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has been serving as interim dean since July 2012. She has been a member of the faculty at the university since 1990.

Dr. Lovell holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from James Madison University. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in organizational/industrial psychology from Bowling Green State University in Kentucky.

Tarrell Awe Agahe Portman was appointed dean of the College of Education at Winona State University in Minnesota. She was an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Iowa from 2005 to 2014.

Dr. Portman holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She earned a doctorate in counselor education and supervision from the University of Arkansas.